Space Shuttle Final Launch: The best shuttle photos, videos and links from around the web

View full sizeSpace Shuttle Atlantis sits ready to launch on the final shuttle flight after the rotating service structure moves back at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Thursday, July 7, 2011. (The Huntsville Times/Eric Schultz)

» Scientific America took its readers through the 10 most dangerous moments in space shuttle history with a slideshow, which puts the O-ring erosion on Atlantis in 1985 as the No. 1 most dangerous incident. The O-ring is the same piece of the shuttle that caused the Challenger to explode moments after launch in 1986, putting Marshall Space Flight Center under the microscope for months after.

» The Huntsville Times collected a set of fun space shuttle facts -- for example, did you know the shuttle's flight computer has less than 1 percent the power of an Xbox 360?

» It's a sad day for residents of the Space Coast, where more than 7,000 people will lose their jobs at Kennedy Space Center. In this video from the Orlando Sentinel, Titusville residents talk about their feelings for the last shuttle launch.